Footwear with power kick plate

Abstract

An article of footwear that includes an upper that secures the article of footwear to a wearer. The footwear also includes a sole assembly that is operably coupled to the upper. The sole assembly includes an outsole having a plurality of cleats and a groove. The groove includes a first internal surface and a second internal surface. The first and second internal surfaces move away from each other as the sole assembly flexes in a first direction, and the first and second internal surfaces abut each other to limit movement of the sole assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An article of footwear configured for supporting a wearer on a ground surface, the article of footwear comprising:
 an upper that secures the article of footwear to a wearer; and 
 a sole assembly that is operably coupled to the upper, the sole assembly including an outsole having a base, the outsole also including a plurality of cleats and an elongate rib, the plurality of cleats and the elongate rib each projecting from the base, the elongate rib including a lower surface that is configured to contact the ground surface, 
 the base including a first thick section, a second thick section, and a thin section that is thinner than both the first thick section and the second thick section, 
 the thin section separating the first thick section and the second thick section, 
 the elongate rib extending in a length direction across the first thick section, the thin section, and the second thick section, 
 the outsole further including a groove extending in a depth direction from the lower surface into the elongate rib and toward the base, the groove including a first internal surface and a second internal surface, the first and second internal surfaces moving away from each other as the thin section flexes in a first direction, the first and second internal surfaces abutting each other to limit movement of the thin section in a second direction opposite the first direction. 
 
     
     
       2. The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the elongate rib has a longitudinal axis that intersects the plurality of cleats. 
     
     
       3. The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the groove extends only through the elongate rib of the outsole. 
     
     
       4. The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the article of footwear defines a longitudinal axis, and wherein the groove extends longitudinally in a transverse direction that is transverse to the longitudinal axis of the article of footwear. 
     
     
       5. The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second internal surfaces each extend in the depth direction substantially normal to the lower surface. 
     
     
       6. The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second internal surfaces each extend in the depth direction at an acute angle relative to the lower surface. 
     
     
       7. The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole assembly further includes a midsole and a covering member included between the outsole and the midsole and overlapping the groove, the covering member inhibiting penetration of a foreign object into the midsole through the groove. 
     
     
       8. The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole assembly includes a forefoot area that is configured to support a forefoot of a wearer, and wherein the forefoot area includes the groove. 
     
     
       9. The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein a step is defined at a transition between the thin section and one of the first thick section and the second thick section, and wherein the groove is substantially aligned with the step. 
     
     
       10. The article of footwear of  claim 9 , wherein the lower surface of the rib is separated by the groove into a first area and a second area, and wherein the first area is substantially flush with the second area when the first and second internal surfaces abut each other. 
     
     
       11. The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole assembly has a first position in which the first and second internal surfaces are spaced apart from each other, wherein the sole assembly has a second position in which the first and second internal surfaces abut, and wherein the groove is closed completely in the second position. 
     
     
       12. The article of footwear of  claim 1 , wherein the sole assembly includes a forefoot area that is configured to support a forefoot of a wearer and a rearfoot area that is configured to support a heel of the wearer, the sole assembly also including a longitudinal axis that extends between the forefoot area and the rearfoot area, the sole assembly further including a medial side and a lateral side, the medial side and the lateral side extending between the forefoot area and the rearfoot area, the medial side and the lateral side being disposed on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis, and wherein the thin section of the base extends generally transverse to the longitudinal axis between the medial side and the lateral side. 
     
     
       13. An article of footwear configured for supporting a wearer upon a ground surface, the article of footwear having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis that is transverse to the longitudinal axis, the article of footwear comprising:
 an upper that secures the article of footwear to a wearer; and 
 a sole assembly that is operably coupled to the upper, the sole assembly including an outsole having a base, the outsole also including a plurality of cleats that project from the base, the outsole also including an elongate rib that projects from the base, the elongate rib including a lower surface that is configured to contact the ground surface, the outsole also including a groove extending from the lower surface into the elongate rib and toward the base, the groove including a first internal surface and a second internal surface, the first and second internal surfaces moving away from each other as the sole assembly flexibly rotates in a first direction about the transverse axis, the first and second internal surfaces abutting each other to limit rotation of the sole assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction, wherein the article of footwear defines a longitudinal axis, wherein the groove extends longitudinally in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the article of footwear, and wherein the groove extends only through the elongate rib of the outsole and stops short of penetrating the base. 
 
     
     
       14. The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein the elongate rib has an axis that intersects the plurality of cleats. 
     
     
       15. The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein the base includes a first thick section, a thin section, and a second thick section, wherein the thin section is thinner than both the first thick section and the second thick section, wherein the thin section separates the first thick section and the second thick section, wherein the elongate rib extends in a length direction across the first thick section, the thin section, and the second thick section, and wherein the groove extends in a depth direction through the elongate rib generally at a transition between the thin section and one of the first thick section and the second thick section. 
     
     
       16. The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second internal surfaces each extend in a depth direction substantially normal to the lower surface. 
     
     
       17. The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein the first and second internal surfaces each extend in a depth direction at an acute angle relative to the lower surface. 
     
     
       18. The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein the sole assembly further includes a midsole and a covering member included between the outsole and the midsole and overlapping the groove, the covering member inhibiting penetration of a foreign object into the midsole through the groove. 
     
     
       19. The article of footwear of  claim 13 , wherein the sole assembly includes a forefoot area that supports a forefoot of a wearer, and wherein the forefoot area includes the groove. 
     
     
       20. The article of footwear of  claim 15 , wherein a step is defined at the transition between the thin section and the one of the first thick section and the second thick section, wherein the groove is substantially aligned with the step. 
     
     
       21. The article of footwear of  claim 20 , wherein the lower surface of the rib is separated by the groove into a first area and a second area, and wherein the first area is substantially flush with the second area when the first and second internal surfaces abut each other. 
     
     
       22. A cleated shoe configured for supporting a wearer upon a ground surface, the cleated shoe having a longitudinal axis and a transverse axis that is substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cleated shoe comprising:
 an upper that secures the article of footwear to a wearer; and 
 a sole assembly that is operably coupled to the upper, the sole assembly including a midsole and an outsole, the sole assembly further including a forefoot area that supports a forefoot of a wearer, the outsole having a plurality of cleats, an elongate rib with an axis that intersects the plurality of cleats, and a groove included on the forefoot area, the elongate rib having a lower surface that is configured to contact the ground surface, the groove extending in a depth direction from the lower surface into through the elongate rib and toward the base, the sole assembly also including a base from which the plurality of cleats extend, the base including a thick section and a thin section that is thinner than the thick section, a step defined at a transition between the thick section and the thin section, the groove substantially aligned with the step, wherein the groove extends substantially parallel to the transverse axis, the groove including a first internal surface and a second internal surface that extend substantially normal to the lower surface, the first and second internal surfaces rotating away from each other as the sole assembly flexibly rotates in a first direction about the transverse axis, the first and second internal surfaces rotating toward each other and abutting each other to limit rotation of the sole assembly in a second direction opposite the first direction.